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Is an iOS 5.1 "pre-GM" version floating around?

Well what do we have here? The folks over at BlogdoiPhone susposedly have a pre-GM version of iOS 5.1, the next release of iOS 5 for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, expecting to be released in tandem with the rumored iPad 3 in the coming weeks.

Until now, we haven’t exactly heard much about iOS 5.1 since the last beta which was released during the second week of January. BlogdoiPhone says the pre-GM version (GM meaning gold master, the final test version before being released for public consumption) has only two noticeably new features, one being a revamped camera button on the lock screen and the addition of Japanese to Siri’s language compatibility list.

First the updated camera shortcut on the lock screen. If you didn’t know, double-tapping the home button on your lock screen (if you’re running iOS 5) would make a shortcut to your camera app appear next to the slide to unlock slider. Clicking it would bring you into the camera. Apparently, with the pre-GM version, the shortcut is internal, sitting on the lock screen without requiring a double-tap. In addition, you no longer click it. Tapping it and sliding it up reveals the camera interface, all without unlocking the phone.

The other feature the blog noticed was the highly publicized Japanese language for Siri so now Japanese users can communicate using Siri. The release of iOS 5.1 is expected to coincide with the announcement/release of the iPad 3, which is rumored to occur at the beginning of March.